Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu, Daniel Bwala, has described Lagos State as a “no-man’s land” and the economic pride of Nigeria, while defending the federal government’s heavy concentration of projects in the state.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Daybreak programme on Wednesday, Bwala dismissed claims that Lagos was being unduly favoured by the Tinubu administration, insisting that the state is Nigeria’s commercial hub and deserves massive federal investment.
“Let me tell you why Lagos State is different. Lagos State is a no-man’s land. In the last election, the President who comes from the South-West did not win Lagos. That tells you the cosmopolitan nature of Lagos State,” Bwala said.
He argued that Lagos hosts businesses of Nigerians from all ethnic backgrounds, noting that Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, who hails from Kano, sited his multibillion-dollar ventures in Lagos instead of his home state.
“Almost every rich man that you know in Nigeria has business undertakings in Lagos, and the Nigerian people are represented in Lagos.
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“If not, because probably the majority of the people are Yoruba speaking, you will wonder whether Lagos indeed is from the South-West,” Bwala added.
Justifying the reported N3.9 trillion worth of federal projects allocated to Lagos within two years, Bwala likened the city to global economic powerhouses such as London, New York, and Paris, which attract the largest share of investments in their countries.
“So, in every country, wherever you find the commercial nerve of that country, you are likely to see the need to put infrastructure in place to boost the economy. Whatever Lagos benefits, the country benefits,” he said.
Bwala stressed that Lagos remains Nigeria’s economic lifeline and therefore must be prioritised.
“The idea that you put more in Lagos than in other states or the federation should be put into a proper context. Lagos is a no-man’s land. Lagos is the hub of Nigeria. Lagos is the pride of the country,” he declared.
